Sure SOUNDS Like a Timetable!

By: Lowell
Published On: 8/7/2008 10:20:36 PM

If this isn't a timetable, then what is?

Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldiers out three years after that, two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. U.S. officials, however, insisted no dates had been agreed.

[...]

The officials, who spoke separately on condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing, said all U.S. combat troops would leave Iraq by October 2010, with the remaining support personnel gone "around 2013." The schedule could be amended if both sides agree - a face-saving escape clause that would extend the presence of U.S. forces if security conditions warrant it.

U.S. acceptance - even tentatively - of a specific timeline would represent a dramatic reversal of American policy in place since the war began in March 2003.

Wait a minute, I thought people who advocated timetables were traitors, "surrender monkeys," "cut and run" cowards, etc.  Now it looks like the heroic Bush administration, in its dying days, is moving in exactly that direction?  It's so confusing!

Comments



And Also ............ (norman swingvoter - 8/7/2008 10:42:41 PM)
Isn't Obama supposed to be this inexperienced boob who doesn't understand foreign policy.  Maybe he understands more than bush and mcbush think when they suddenly start changing their positions to those of Obama. Maybe the so-called poor translation of al-Maliki's talk of a timetable wasn't such a poor translation after all.


Internal Consistency Not Needed for Conservatives (Ron1 - 8/7/2008 11:18:12 PM)
It's like a hive mind -- the High Priests (Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.) will declare that this means that The Surge Was a Success! And, therefore, McCain Was and Is Right and must be elected to ensure that we, umm, declare victory correctly. Or something. I can only mentally step so far inside that Bizarro logic-verse before I run into internal contradictions that make my brain turn to mush.

(Never mind that this only happened because Obama gave Maliki the bargaining power and space to force this compromise; who says elections never change anything.)

You can bet your bottom dollar that, if Bush and Cheney and Rove believed that McCain would win this November, this would not be happening -- instead, they'd all be doubling down to continue our government of, by, and for mercenaries and contractors and oil companies. It looks like the Iraqi Parliament adjourned again without setting dates for elections OR figuring out the petroleum situation, so they can't even lie and say the surge accomplished any political goals (it didn't). But somehow, this will all prove that John McCain and George W. Bush were right. And I'm sure the establishment media will agree somehow.

At the very least, it means this God-forsaken occupation might actually end in the near future. I'll be thankful for that, at least.  



The most troubling thing for me is (Silence Dogood - 8/8/2008 2:00:53 AM)
Why the hell is George W. Bush still directing foreign policy decisions?  I like this better than a lot of his other decisions, but less than 100 days away from the election, it seems reprehensible to cut a bunch of last minute deals that tie the future President's hands--be it either Obama OR McCain.

Dude.  George.  You've been a lame duck since January 2007, and before that you were mostly just lame.  Hang it up and go clear some brush in Crawford while the grownups talk.